High doses of the anabolic steroid metandienone found in dietary supplements

Abstract

Three nutritional supplements with "1-T matrix" were purchased by telephone order. The supplier of these supplements is a company from the UK, and the manufacturer is from the U.S. Aliquots of 1 g each were analyzed with gas chromatography / mass spectrometry and high pressure liquid chromatography with UV detector. In all supplements analyzed were found the anabolic-androgenic steroid metandienone. Metandienone, only available by prescription, was not declared on the labels. The concentrations of metandienone were 17.30 mg/g, 0.41 mg/g, and 0.96 mg/g for supplements 1, 2, and 3. In supplement 1, the concentrations of metandienone varied from capsule to capsule. Maximum concentrations of metandienone of 28.9 mg/g were detected. In addition to enormous health risks, the use of the analyzed supplements can lead to positive doping results for metandienone. The results of this study show that it is of major importance to improve the surveillance of the production and trade of dietary supplements. The first step should be a warning to be issued to consumers and the withdrawal of dietary supplements containing prescription drugs. Key Points:• All supplements analyzed contained the anabolic-androgenic steroid metandienone. • The use of metandienone is associated with a large number of adverse effects, especially in women, adolescents, and children. • The results of this study show that it is of major importance to improve the surveillance of the production and trade of dietary supplements.

Serum testosterone and urinary excretion of steroid hormone metabolites after administration of a high-dose zinc supplement

“…With respect to recent reports regarding contaminations (Geyer et al, 2004b) and adulterations (Geyer et al, 2004a) of nutritional supplements, prior to the trial the supplement was confirmed to contain none of the following anabolic steroids: testosterone, 19-nortestosterone, prohormones of testosterone and 19-nortestosterone, tetrahydrogestrinone, stanozolol, metandienone and trenbolone. The analysis of the supplement was performed according to a previously described method (Parr et al, 2004).…”

The continuing story of nutritional supplements and doping infractions: Table 1

“…The amounts that were found varied from 10 ng/g or parts per billion (ppb) to 190 μg/g or parts per million (ppm). Later studies found even higher and profoundly dangerous amounts of anabolic agents, up to 17 mg of unlabelled metandienone per tablet 31 – 33…”

In Vitro Androgen Bioassays as a Detection Method for Designer Androgens

“…Since 2002, nutritional supplements have been found to be intentionally spiked with androgens at concentrations higher than 1 mg/g. The androgens found include metandienone [23], stanozolol [24], boldenone [24], oxandrolone and dehydrochloromethyltestosterone [20]. These androgens were either not declared, or were declared but with non-approved names on the labels.…”